


Momento

by Jinipan



Series: Little Soldier Boys AU [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Even when he's doing something productive, Original Character(s), Slow Build, Zhao is always a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-02 07:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11504811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinipan/pseuds/Jinipan
Summary: He doesn't owe anyone anything, Zhao tells himself when he decides to help Prince Zuko capture the Avatar. Now if only he could control his urge to strangle the moody prince every two minutes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the idea of Lu Ten and Zhao being friends, so I rolled with this new vision of Zhao. He's still a jerk, but that's just cause that's the way we love/hate Zhao the best.

Zhao was leaning back in his chair. He had just returned from a mission and was reading through the latest reports. He had barely finished the first reading the first report when Lieutenant Jiye entered his office with a slightly annoyed air. She stopped in front of his desk, and somehow straightened her back even more before giving him a respectful Fire Nation greeting. 

“Admiral Zhao,” she began, “Captain Xi has informed me that General Iroh and Prince Zuko had stopped in the harbor during both our absences.”

Zhao glanced at her, an eyebrow raised up in surprise. “The Prince?” he asked with a gruff voice. 

“Yes," she answered, “They came to have their ship repaired. The ship was badly damaged when they arrived. The hull was broken in several areas, the engine smoking and the deck oddly punctured and deformed.”

Zhao looked at her thoughtfully, “Did they mention what had caused such extensive damage?” Jiye shook her head. 

Zhao paused, leaning back into his chair, analyzing the information. “Very well then. Tell Captain Xi to promptly send me a report on the damage.”

She nodded and reached into her sleeve, pulling out a thin scroll. “We’ve also received a message from the capital,” she said presenting the scroll to him.

Zhao took it. ‘How strange,’ he thought as he looked at the royal seal, 'it’s directly from the war council.’ He narrowed his eyes as he broke the seal and unrolled the scroll before him. He read the first few lines with a sudden surprised look on his face, but that look was quickly replaced by a frown. 

Lieutenant Jiye silently watched his changing expression with a practiced look of indifference on her face. She remained unmoving even after Zhao set the scroll down and looked up with the frown still present on his face. 

‘So the rumors had been true,’ he thought, ‘the avatar was alive.’ His mind raced as he thought of the potential complications they now faced. He recalled how the Earth kingdom armies had been pushing back harder as of late. Perhaps they had met the avatar already? That would explain their sudden change, that and the sudden movement around Omashu. Zhao smirked. Despite the new activity, the different Earth Kingdom armies were still terribly disorganized and vulnerable against the Fire Nation armies. The Avatar’s reappearance, Zhao concluded, was of no significance. Sure more people may pick up their arms against the Fire Nation as they became hopeful by his sudden reappearance. But if the rumors were completely true, the avatar was but a pathetic child, incapable of using all the raw power he possessed. Capturing him, then, would be quite a simple task. All he had to do was strategically corner him before sending the unexpected final blow.

Zhao’s smirked flattered. His blooming plans suddenly overshadowed by the thought of Prince Zuko. Without any warning, the horrific scene of the Agni Kai replayed vividly in his mind, bringing back memories of the sickening stench of burned flesh and the horrifying screams that had filled the dimly lit arena. The image of Prince Zuko’s limp form curling up into itself once again burned onto the back of his eyes and Lu Ten’s soft voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Zhao’s heart sank. Their last conversation had come to haunt him again. Zhao closed his eyes and furrowed his brows.

Taking a quick breathe, he opened them again and slowly regained awareness of his surroundings.

“We have a new mission, Jiye,” he said as he rolled the scroll back up again, “The avatar is alive and we are to capture him at all cost.” Jiye’s eyes widen, but Zhao continued, “I want you to get the fleet ready - I plan to disembark as soon as possible.” 

Lieutenant Jiye narrowed her eyes, quickly regaining her composure. “Of course Admiral.” With a click of her boots, she sharply turned around and began walking away. 

“Jiye,” Zhao suddenly called and she abruptly stopped, her hand on the door. She looked over her slim shoulder with a blank look.

“Find out Prince Zuko’s current route."

\-----------------

Prince Zuko was taking a rare moment to himself. He was shirtless as he sat cross legged on the floor before a few candles meditating. With every deep slow breathe he cleared his mind, slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings, the stillness of the air, the soft lull of the sea and the pained groaning of the metal ship.  
He remained peaceful, eyes closed as he heard his uncle’s heavy steps approaching. 

“Prince Zuko,” Iroh called, voice a bit breathless as he entered the boy’s room, “Captain Zhao is on the ship and wants to speak with you.” 

Zuko’s eyes immediately glared open, his shoulders tensed as he got up. “What!” he loudly snarled. General Iroh frowned at him. “Please Prince Zuko, we must be careful. He’s not here alone. His fleet has surrounded us.” Zuko growled loudly at that. He quickly dressed and fastened his armor tightly to his chest before rushing out his room with his uncle behind him. “It better be important. I don’t have time for this!” he shouted as he clenched his hands into tight fists. 

 

When he finally reached the war room, Prince Zuko was fuming. In his rage he slammed the door open, creating a terrible bang. He glared at Zhao who stood straight with his hands behind his back as he looked at one of the many maps laying upon Zuko’s desk with blank expression. 

Although he had not looked up at the offending noise, the slim woman next to him did. She turned to face Prince Zuko, her long black ponytail swinging away from her slim face as she did. She raised eyebrow at the angry Prince, giving him a highly unimpressed look. 

Prince Zuko felt his good eye twitch as his anger swelled. Before his uncle could stop him, Zuko had marched over to Zhao and slammed his fist on the desk. “Captain Zhao what are you doing on my ship?” he growled. 

Zhao glanced up and gave him a deadpan look. “It's Admiral Zhao,” he retorted with a self-satisfying smirk, completely unmoved by Zuko’s anger. 

General Iroh suddenly stepped forward, coming to Zuko’s side. "Ah, congratulations on the promotion Zhao!” the former general said in a friendly but nervous tone, "We had not heard the great news.” 

Zhao bowed politely at him, “Much appreciated General Iroh.” 

Zuko growled again, “I asked you a question Zhao.” 

Zhao straighten up, his gaze returning to the Prince. 

"I have come to offer you my assistance in capturing the avatar."

Once the words left his mouth, three set of eyes shifted to Zhao in shock. He heard Jiye take a deep and unsteady breath behind him. The Prince and his uncle’s reactions, Zhao noted, were not much better. General Iroh’s mouth hung open, his eyebrows high on his forehead, threatening to reach his receding hairline. The Prince, on the other hand seemed to be frozen at the spot. All the anger had disappeared from his face and he slowly opened his mouth only to rapidly close it again. 

After a few minutes Zuko finally composed himself. “What's the meaning of this Zhao?” he barked, his anger quickly returning. 

Zhao shrugged with an uninterested look on his face. “It's as I told you – I am offering my assistance.” 

Zuko narrowed his good eye, its shape matching that of his deformed one. "Your help is not needed Admiral,” he sneered. 

Zhao smirked, “I beg to differ.” 

Zuko eyes quickly flashed with emotion and suddenly he snapped. He roared as he launched himself towards Zhao only to be stopped by his uncle’s strong grip on his shoulders. In front, of Zhao stood Jiye with a clenched fist just mere inches from Zuko’s face, heat radiating from her knuckles. She had rapidly moved when she had seen the prince move into an attack. She sneered at the Prince and increased the heat slightly, daring the Prince to move.

With his nephew still secured in his grip, General Iroh turned to Zhao with a questioning look, eyes glinting with a hint of distrust.

Zhao frowned. “Jiye,” he snapped, “leave us.” Lieutenant Jiye’s head snapped at him, and she observed him with searching eyes. Their eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away. Without a word she lowered her arm and stepped outside.

Once he heard the door close behind her, Zhao turned his attention back to General Iroh.

“I am genuine about my offer.”

“Admiral Zhao, this is –“ Iroh began, clearly lost for words.

With a grunt, Zuko broke from his uncle’s grip. “Why should we trust you? “ he sneered, stepping closer to Zhao, glaring up at him, their faces mere inches from each other.

Zhao could barely contain himself from rolling his eyes. “It seems you don’t understand the gravity of your circumstances Prince Zuko. You truly aren’t in any position to argue or deny an offer like mine.”  
Zhao turned and took a few steps to the cabin window, staring into the vast distance. “You see, the high council has confirmed the avatar’s return and on behalf of your father, they are not only commanding everyone to capture the avatar upon encounter but are also deploying a special force to capture him.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, “Impossible! It’s my mission to capture the avatar.”

Zhao turned back to Zuko with a frown. “No, it was your father’s pathetic excuse. Although he didn’t outright state it, your father exiled you with no intention for you to ever return.”

“You’re lying! My father sent me away because I lost my honor. With the avatar he will accept me.”

Zhao raised an eyebrow giving Zuko a disappointed look. “Is that really what you think?”

Zuko grit his teeth, hurt flashed momentarily in his eyes behind the anger. And General Iroh stepped forward, and placed a comforting hand on Zuko’s shoulder. 

Zhao sighed. “Very well Prince.” He tipped his head respectfully and walked past them towards the door. Stopping when he reached the door, he slid a hand into his armor and pulled out a scroll. “It’s your choice,” he muttered, tossing it over his shoulder.

Zuko caught it with a swing of his arm and briefly inspected the scroll’s broken seal before glaring at Zhao’s back. 

“My offer still stands,” he heard Zhao say before he slammed the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko furiously unrolled the scroll. His mind has been running since the moment he recognized its intricate seal as the high council’s. As his eyes quickly scanned the written text, Zuko paled. With shaking hands, he held the scroll as his eyes trailed to the end of the message where 6 intricate stamps were carefully placed into a row, one below the other. 

Zuko's expression darkened. 

Iroh frowned. “What it is it Zuko?” he asked looking at Zuko with concern. But Zuko remained silent.

Zuko grit his teeth, ‘The stamps, those were the high council’s stamp seals. He hadn’t been lying,’ he thought. Zuko slammed the scroll on the table. He suddenly wanted to scream out in anger but instead felt weak, his vision blurring. He stumbled a bit before he managed to place both hands on the desk, fingers digging into the hard wood as he tried to steady himself. 

Uncle stood at his side, reaching out to support him but Zuko raised his hand stopping him. 

Iroh paused but his eyes glinted with worry, “Prince Zuko what happened?” he pressed again. 

“It’s true. Zhao didn’t lie.” 

General Iroh frowned, he reached over and picked up the discarded scroll. His frowned deepened when he saw the high council’s seals stamped at the end. 

“Prince Zuko, what do you plan to do now?” he asked looking back up to Zuko’s hunched figure.

Zuko took in a shaky breath, “I don’t know uncle,” he answered weakly. “I can’t…..”

Iroh’s eyes filled with sadness, clearly worried by Zuko’s downcast appearance, but his expression suddenly hardened. 

“Will you take Zhao’s offer?”

Zuko head snapped up towards his uncle. He met his uncle’s searching eyes with surprise, noting the unusually hard expression on his face. 

Zuko frowned. While Zhao’s smirking face and snarky attitude had made him fume with anger, he had to admit he didn’t know the man well. Thus he had naturally been suspicious of Zhao’s sudden offer.  
But Zuko recalled hearing about him years ago when the high council had gathered the nation’s various military leaders at the Fire Nation palace. At the time, Zuko had still been a child, merely thirteen years old, the scar not yet marking his face. 

He had been laying in the garden, his slim figure hidden by the tall fire lilies as he waited patiently for his uncle to arrive. From his hiding spot, he had heard footsteps slowly approaching. Peering through the thick stems he had seen two old officials walking along the garden path.

“Infuriating imbecile,” one of them had grumbled angrily. “How dare he show up and insult us in that manner. He deserves to be cut down for his transgression.”

The other man had merely chuckled at his companion’s anger. “Impossible. Did you not see how the council swayed under him? Regardless of his crudeness, they believed he was ultimately right.” 

“Right? His plans are ridiculous!”

“So it may appear from our position but he has proven himself to be a valuable asset. That man has never failed - he is truly as vicious as they come.”

“Hmmpf! Fools! They are walking into his trap. They give him boundless freedom, sending him to the enemy like a rabid patherdog, but don’t realize that someday he will rip them to shreds. After all a man like him only cares about himself.”

“Perhaps, but I doubt our esteemed Lord would allow such a menace to run free with his army,” he heard the other say as they walked away.

 

Zuko narrowed his eyes as the memory ended. He turned away from his uncle’s gaze, “Of course not. I don’t care what he says, I don’t trust him.”

Behind his back, his uncle smiled slightly at the response. “What shall we do then nephew? The situation is rapidly evolving.” 

Zuko straightened himself up, “We will continue like always – fighting against the odds,” he answered. He turned back to his uncle, “From the letter’s specific wording, it’s safe to assume their search team will be leaving from the capital. That gives us a few days to slow them down.”

General Iroh raised an eyebrow, “Are you suggesting we give them misleading information?”

“No-” Zuko answered as he reached for a piece of parchment and a brush, “- we won't, but the other fire nation soldiers and the earth citizens will when they spread the newest rumors about the avatar.” 

Iroh frowned but then smiled widely, “Why of course Prince Zuko.”

“And-” Zuko added as he quickly wrote, “- we will make it clear to Zhao that we refuse his offer.” He set his brush down and blew hot air on the wet ink, drying it before rolling the parchment up and handing it to his uncle. 

“I don’t plan on sharing the Avatar with anyone.”

\--------------------------------------

After stepping back on his ship, Zhao was met by Jiye’s intense gaze. Zhao didn’t give her a second glance as he walked across the deck. Jiye eyes narrowed slightly but she quickly fixed her face before walking after him.

“Tell the others to prepare their engines, I want to reach Hiran as soon as possible,” Zhao commanded.

“Admiral,” Jiye began, “about your offer to Prince Zuko…” 

Zhao stopped abruptly and frowned at her, immediately silencing her. “That changes nothing Lieutenant. 

Jiye frowned slightly, “But Admiral…”

Zhao looked at her, unmoved by her protest, “Lieutenant Jiye, I believe I gave you orders.”

If Jiye felt offended at Zhao’s sharp responses, she didn’t let it show. Instead she stiffly nodded at him before walking off. 

Zhao watched her for a moment with narrow eyes, before heading inside towards his office. 

Once in his office, he immediately walked to the massive shelfs on the right and pulled out a huge map. Setting it down on the edge of a table nearby, he pushed the map, unrolling it across the hard wooden surface. 

From his desk he took a brush and a pot of black ink, placing it on one corner of the map. He wasted no time to dip the brush in ink and quickly drew the route he had memorized from Prince Zuko’s map.  
When he was done, Zhao took a step back, examining his work. As his eyes traced the drawn route, he concluded that the route he had copied from Zuko’s map was rather recent. Perhaps the prince had started it a few months ago. Zhao closed his eyes trying to recall the map on Zuko’s desk, wanting to remember the specific strokes and markings the prince had made on it.

The markings on the map had been neat and orderly before they reached the South Pole. After that the drawn trail had become messy, with sudden loops and markings, suggesting the route had been constantly reworked. 

Although Zhao was no expert in map analysis, he had plenty of war experience. Experience that had taught him how to carefully read between the lines as he ruthlessly pursued enemies and crushed his competition. Which is why he had no doubt that Prince Zuko had first came across the Avatar weeks ago. 

‘So he had known - of course,’ thought Zhao as he recalled the Prince’s anger, ‘Prince Zuko wouldn’t have told anyone. He still thinks the Avatar is his ticket home.’ Zhao thought back to the damage on Zuko’s ship. Captain Xi’s report had suggested that some of the damage had been old. He had pointed to some of the smaller punctures on the deck, stating that they were crusted and oxidized by sea salt -a process that didn’t necessarily happen overnight. 

Zhao frowned. The Prince was a complete moron, that and absolutely irritating. He wondered how General Iroh could possibly stand him when Zhao, who had not even been in that room for ten minutes, had been close to losing it. ‘Just like Lu Ten,’ he thought as he looked back to his map, ‘only much, much worse. At least Lu Ten had never been that angry or foolish, just overly friendly.’ 

He glanced back down at the map, his fingers tracing the end of Prince Zuko’s current route. So far it was heading north. ‘Very well,’ he thought, perhaps it was time to set his plan in motion. 

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Zhao called. He looked up and saw a soldier salute stiffly. “Admiral Zhao we just received this message from an unidentified firehawk,” the soldier seemed to shout nervously as he presented a small rolled up piece of parchment to an unimpressed Zhao.

Zhao took it, inspecting the wax seal briefly before he broke it and unrolled it. Zhao smirked at the short message. Stay out my way. ‘How typical,’ he thought. 

“Very well soldier,” he said looking back up. “Get me the Raven Eagle.” The soldier nodded and scrambled out his office. 

Zhao smiled a bit wickedly to himself as he went over to his desk and sat down. ‘Yes,’ he thought, ‘this doesn’t change a thing.’


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko stomped back up onto the ship. He was fuming as he took his wet helmet off with a pop. His eyebrow twitched in anger as he heard the wet soldiers complain in the background. ‘Idiots,’ he thought as he headed towards his bedroom with a grim expression.

Once in his bedroom, he ripped the wet armor off and tossed it to one corner. He rolled his stiff elbow as he steamed his clothing dry with his fire bending. ‘Curse that overgrown serpent,’ he thought, ‘but most importantly, curse the avatar and his friends for escaping once again.’ 

He punched a metal wall in anger, the hit sending a sharp pain up his arm. Steam flowed out of his mouth, as he took a deep breathe, quickly composing himself. He looked at his hand, inspecting the damage with a careful eye, knowing his uncle would throw a fit if he had hurt himself. 

The bedroom door suddenly opened with a groan and Zuko just barely lowered his arm in time when his uncle stepped in. 

“I see things did not go well” General Iroh remarked with a slight frown, tucking his hands behind his back. 

“No,” Zuko growled, taking of his boots. “The avatar escaped once again.” 

His uncle gave him a deadpan look, “And what do you plan to do now Prince Zuko?” 

“The Avatar’s bison headed north from Kyoshi,” Zuko muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He paused for a moment, feeling a slight headache but quickly recovered. 

“So we’ll head north and once we reach the mainland, we’ll dock for the night to resupply,” Zuko answered. 

General Iroh smiled, “How wonderful! The crew will love this – they do deserve a bit of a break considering what they’ve been through the last few weeks. 

Zuko grimaced and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Fine! Let them go off and play stupid,” he sneered. “But as soon as the sun rises the next day, we will continue to follow the avatar’s trail.”

Iroh nodded with a wide smile, “Of course. I’ll go give them your orders Prince Zuko.” 

General Iroh turned around and started heading towards the door, “I will also ask the cook to prepare something for you.” He turned to face Zuko again, “After all you should eat and rest, you’ve had quite a day.”

Zuko sighed, a bit frustrated, “I will Uncle.” He raised his head and met his uncle’s eyes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Prince Zuko,” General Iroh answered before closing the door softly behind him. 

Zuko turned away from the door and raised his arms, stretching his back. He sat on his bed and reached skillfully into the wall panel behind him, pulling out a small stack of bundled paper. He carefully untied the string holding it together and took the small folded map he had at the bottom of the stack and opened it. 

Zuko eagerly looked through the map and the notes he wrote on the small papers.

Deep down. He knew his uncle meant well, but Zuko had a lot to do and a lot more to think about. Thus, he had hid these papers from his uncle. They were his secret plans. Plans his uncle would surely disapprove of, but they were, in his opinion, absolutely necessary.

He had known the moment he had decided to start rumors to detain the search team that they would need more than just the few rumors they had spread to succeed. After all, there was only so much his soldiers could spread at pubs or his uncle could attach to the many mail hawks they intercepted. 

No, they needed a ground force. They needed someone who could infiltrate the lowest levels of society, someone the earth kingdom commoners could trust.  
With this in mind Zuko had set his plan into motion at the last harbor they had stopped at before they had headed to Kyoshi.

While his uncle had been busy buying useless objects, Zuko had gotten himself a disguise. He had bought himself a mask. 

At first he had not known exactly why this particular mask had attracted his attention. It was rather hideous and bright blue, its bright colors not apt for stealth. Furthermore the hardness of the wood and the narrowness of its eyeholes would limit his mobility and reactions. 

In all honesty, a dark cloth hood would have been much more suited for his purposes. 

But as he had held the mask in his hands, he had reasoned the mask was indeed a better option. It was a spirit’s mask after all, and the Earth Kingdom commoners, he knew, believed greatly in those.  
Therefore, if he wanted to gain their trust quickly, he had concluded, then he must look the part. 

Zuko inspected the small map, carefully searching the coast area. The closest harbor depicted on the map was Yangse. The harbor was large enough, he gathered. They would certainly stop there overnight. 

He scanned the surrounding area and smiled. It looked promising, filled with tiny villages. There was even a larger town about an hour inland from the port town. 

‘Perfect,’ he thought. The layout would be a great opportunity to make his first move. 

Zuko raised his head and stared out the window. The sun was setting, disappearing into the watery horizon. He looked back at the map. They still had about an hour till land. He knew it wasn’t late but he had a long night ahead of him. 

Zuko suddenly smiled coyly. ‘Well Uncle had insisted on resting,’ he thought. ‘He wouldn’t question me if I happen to fall asleep early.” 

With that, he carefully bundled his papers and returned them to their hiding place before he stripped down to his underclothes and went to bed.

About an hour later, Zuko’s eyes flew open. He slowly got up, his eyes adjusting to the dark and saw his uncle had left his dinner on his desk. From where he was standing, Zuko peered out the window. In the darkness, he could see the warm lights of the rapidly approaching port. 

‘Perfect,’ he thought before he went to his closet and pulled out the black clothing he had carefully hidden. He dressed quickly and carefully making sure to hide every inch of his incredibly pale skin. After all, he didn’t want anyone to question the possible affiliations of the Blue Spirit, as he decided to call himself, by resembling the enemy. 

Once dressed, he took the small pouch he had prepared ahead of time and strapped it to his waist. Zuko walked to his mirror and paused to inspect his appearance before he walked back towards the wall looming over his desk.

He gazed at the small but impressive collection of swords hanging over his desk and couldn’t help but remember his cousin, Lu Ten. 

Lu Ten had loved swords, they had been his one burning passion. He had not only trained to become a master swordsman but had learned how to make and modify them himself. 

And while Zuko’s father had scoffed at the sight of Lu Ten training with swords in hand, Zuko had always loved to see his cousin clash against others on the training ground. 

Lu Ten had simply been amazing. From his unyielding confidence to the beauty of his form as he controlled fire with his metal blades, he was an incredible warrior. He controlled fire like no one else, willing it to curl around his blades and shooting it from the blades’ tips like they were merely an extension of his arms. 

After he had shyly asked, Lu Ten had taught him, quickly becoming Zuko’s favorite teacher. He had not only been a great teacher, teaching him all he could, but had also given Zuko all the swords he now owned. And so Zuko’s gaze traveled slowly from each sword with fondness. 

His eyes stopped when they landed on a particularly large sword near the bottom of the group. 

It was a dual blade, light and flexible but strong and incredibly sharp. He took it and unsheathed, testing its weight. 

“Zuko-” he remembered Lu Ten telling him when he had gifted him the sword, “- You’re a talent warrior. More talented than the others and you yourself believe. You may not fight like the others, but that’s only because you have such a pure heart.” 

Zuko had looked at him with questioning eyes, as Lu Ten bent over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I have to go off to war now, but before I go I want to leave this with you,” he said, presenting a sword to Zuko.

Zuko took it and with some trouble, unsheathe it. As he inspected the beautiful blade in the bright sunlight, he realized it was a dual sword.

“A duel sword?” Zuko asked Lu Ten with surprise.

“Yes, Lu Ten answered.

“Although it may be a bit out of your league at the moment, well that and a bit too large,” he added with a twisted smile, ignoring Zuko’s slight frown, “I firmly believe this will be the best suited for you.”

Lu Ten reached for the sword, swinging experimentally for Zuko to see, before sheathing it. “It’s light and adaptable but strong and unmoving. I hope that by giving this to you now, you can eventually come into your own.”

Lu Ten had then squeezed his shoulder affectionately. “And hopefully when I come back, sparring with you will be more of a challenge.”

Zuko frowned at Lu Ten’s teasing and pushed his cousin to the floor but Lu Ten just laughed loudly as he sat up.

But even then Zuko had understood his cousin’s words and had hugged him, burying his face in Lu Ten’s shoulder. 

“I’ll miss you,” he sniffed, his voice muffled. 

“I’ll miss you too, Zuko. I’ll miss you very much.”

 

Zuko’s eyes hardened as he tightened his grip on the sword. With one swift movement, he sheathed the sword before strapping it to his back.  
‘I hope you’re right Lu Ten,' he thought as he put on his mask and slipped out.


End file.
